Bio
I began my art career as a painter, creating otherworldly landscapes exploring mythology, fairytales and fables. When I transitioned from painting to ceramics, I brought my experience with image-making, illustration and pattern work to the creation of functional ceramics.
I received my BFA from Carnegie Mellon University where I focused on Painting and Printmaking. I’m an art teacher at Shawnee Mission Northwest High School, where I teach Intro to Art and Ceramics. I build my pottery in my home studio in Kansas City.
My work can be found at the Phoenix Gallery in Lawrence KS and the Leedy-Voulkos Gift Shop in the Kansas City Crossroads District.
Artist Statement
My work toys with the interconnections of functional pottery, storytelling, illustration, and fine art. I create pottery with an organic feel that invites the viewer to touch and hold the piece. My imagery is inspired by folktales, mythology, children’s stories and fairytales, both familiar and obscure.
I construct my forms from porcelain and porcelaneous stoneware using both hand building and wheel-throwing. I create my surface designs using the sgraffito technique: before the clay fully dries,I paint on layers of underglaze, then hand carve imagery, revealing the contrasting clay color below. I fire the piece, apply glaze and fire again. Each piece is one of a kind.
